as PAHs and RDX (Royal Demolition Explosive). The subphylum Mucoromycotina
and the genera Cunninghamella, Mucor and Rhizopus include fungus that can
degrade PAHs, pesticides, textile dyes, trinitrotoluene, etc. (Harms et al. 2011).
Fungi bear remarkable potency to bioremediate hydrocarbons with complex
structure and long-chain length such as Mucorales and Monililiales show a higher
rate of bioremediation ability (Fan and Krishnamurthy 1995). On the other hand,
Fungal genera including Neosartorya, Graphium, Aspergillus, Talaromyces,
Cephalosporium, and Penicillium as well as genera of yeast including Yarrowia,
Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, C. lipolytica, Pichi, Geotrichum sp., and Trichosporon
mucoides were isolated from soil polluted with petroleum and also found to be the
effective organism for bioremediation of hydrocarbons in crude oil (Das and
Chandran 2011). Alkane-utilizing yeast includes C. lipolytica, C. tropicalis,
Aureobasidion pullulans, and Rhodoturula rubra. Candida ernobi and Rhodotorula
aurantiaca have the ability to biodegrade diesel oil. Candida methanosorbosa is
studied for biodegradation of aniline (Joutey et al. 2013). Another study says that
species of the genera including Cladophialophora and Exophiala assimilate toluene.
Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. biodegrade synthetic dyes, chlorophenols,
pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and 2,4,6trinitrotoluene. Cordyceps, Fusarium and Pseudallescheria spp. are reported for
metabolizing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs). Mitospores of
Acremonium spp. can remediate royal demolition explosive and polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, whereas Graphium spp. has the ability to biodegrade methyl-tertbutyl ether, as well as Phoma spp. degrade pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
and synthetic dyes. Kluyveromyces, Candida, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Yarrowia,
and Neurospora are the potential bioremediaters of crude oil, trinitrotoluene, nalkanes, n-alkylbenzenes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the endocrine-disrupting
chemical (EDC) nonylphenol (Harms et al. 2011). Fungi used in bioremediation for
the treatment of heavy metals include Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium canescens
and Aspergillus fumigates (Coelho et al. 2015). Thus, bioremediation approaches
using fungus have noteworthy benefits (Nawaz et al. 2011).
15.4.3 Protozoa and Algae
Algae and protozoa are essential parts in the community of microbes in both aquatic
as well as terrestrial ecosystems, which have been scantly reported for their role in
biodegradation of hydrocarbons (Wasi et al. 2013). Prototheca zopfi is not only
capable to utilize crude oil and a mixture of hydrocarbon substrate but also carries
out a substantial amount of biodegradation of n-alkanes and isoalkanes as well as
aromatic hydrocarbons (Das and Chandran 2011). Cerniglia et al. observed those
nine cyanobacteria, five green algae, one red alga, one brown alga and two diatoms
that are effective in oxidizing naphthalene (Joutey et al. 2013). Among the genus of
green algae, Chlorella has been recognized as a potent species for biosorption of
metals. Gale reported that the efficient removal of lead by blooms of Chlorella,
Cladophora, Rhizoclonium, Hydrodictyon, Spirogyra and Oscillatoria. Scarano
15 The Role of Microorganisms in Remediation of Environmental Contaminants
435
and the genera Cunninghamella, Mucor and Rhizopus include fungus that can
degrade PAHs, pesticides, textile dyes, trinitrotoluene, etc. (Harms et al. 2011).
Fungi bear remarkable potency to bioremediate hydrocarbons with complex
structure and long-chain length such as Mucorales and Monililiales show a higher
rate of bioremediation ability (Fan and Krishnamurthy 1995). On the other hand,
Fungal genera including Neosartorya, Graphium, Aspergillus, Talaromyces,
Cephalosporium, and Penicillium as well as genera of yeast including Yarrowia,
Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, C. lipolytica, Pichi, Geotrichum sp., and Trichosporon
mucoides were isolated from soil polluted with petroleum and also found to be the
effective organism for bioremediation of hydrocarbons in crude oil (Das and
Chandran 2011). Alkane-utilizing yeast includes C. lipolytica, C. tropicalis,
Aureobasidion pullulans, and Rhodoturula rubra. Candida ernobi and Rhodotorula
aurantiaca have the ability to biodegrade diesel oil. Candida methanosorbosa is
studied for biodegradation of aniline (Joutey et al. 2013). Another study says that
species of the genera including Cladophialophora and Exophiala assimilate toluene.
Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. biodegrade synthetic dyes, chlorophenols,
pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons and 2,4,6trinitrotoluene. Cordyceps, Fusarium and Pseudallescheria spp. are reported for
metabolizing polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins(PCDDs). Mitospores of
Acremonium spp. can remediate royal demolition explosive and polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, whereas Graphium spp. has the ability to biodegrade methyl-tertbutyl ether, as well as Phoma spp. degrade pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
and synthetic dyes. Kluyveromyces, Candida, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Yarrowia,
and Neurospora are the potential bioremediaters of crude oil, trinitrotoluene, nalkanes, n-alkylbenzenes, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and the endocrine-disrupting
chemical (EDC) nonylphenol (Harms et al. 2011). Fungi used in bioremediation for
the treatment of heavy metals include Aspergillus versicolor, Penicillium canescens
and Aspergillus fumigates (Coelho et al. 2015). Thus, bioremediation approaches
using fungus have noteworthy benefits (Nawaz et al. 2011).
15.4.3 Protozoa and Algae
Algae and protozoa are essential parts in the community of microbes in both aquatic
as well as terrestrial ecosystems, which have been scantly reported for their role in
biodegradation of hydrocarbons (Wasi et al. 2013). Prototheca zopfi is not only
capable to utilize crude oil and a mixture of hydrocarbon substrate but also carries
out a substantial amount of biodegradation of n-alkanes and isoalkanes as well as
aromatic hydrocarbons (Das and Chandran 2011). Cerniglia et al. observed those
nine cyanobacteria, five green algae, one red alga, one brown alga and two diatoms
that are effective in oxidizing naphthalene (Joutey et al. 2013). Among the genus of
green algae, Chlorella has been recognized as a potent species for biosorption of
metals. Gale reported that the efficient removal of lead by blooms of Chlorella,
Cladophora, Rhizoclonium, Hydrodictyon, Spirogyra and Oscillatoria. Scarano
15 The Role of Microorganisms in Remediation of Environmental Contaminants
435